The Shadow that Fell in Love
by SinkingintheAbyssofFeels
Summary: A heartless Shadow observes Aqua as she wanders the world of Darkness. "The steely gaze of a survivor morphs her resolve into something not altruistic. For she walks with languid steps, like wading in mud. Sees the darkness come to life, and her shoulders fall impossibly lower. I'd cheer her on if I had a mouth." F/F
1. Lost

The first time I saw her, she danced through the shadows in what could have easily been a beautifully choreographed scene. Cutting them to nothing in an effortless spin, she slashed her blade down from over her shoulder. Sweeping away Darkballs, Soldiers, Large Bodies with a clean uninterrupted swipe.

No pause to show impact.

Her fluid blues against their unforgiving blacks. She carried her onslaught across the long stone platforms, in pursuit, as though she had at her fingertips the tail-end of something she could almost catch.

Yet it kept slipping.

Doubling her effort in retaliation, she ran faster, struck harder.

An Invisible clashed weapons with hers, interrupting her effort. Hooking her guard below the Invisibles, she glided her blade upwards, and the sword flung out of its hands. She then twirled in place to gather momentum, and ended it with an upward strike.

The cerulean scarves framing the woman's hips complimented her every movement, circling her body like a song to her dance. Her blue hair fell perfectly back into place as a heart escaped into the air. And that interruption turned into a finale.

Watching her is a show so mesmerizing, it lingered on one's thoughts like art embracing the mind.

Enemies as large as Behemoths, to the multitude of hundreds of clustering Shadows charged at this agile dancer. Yet, no matter how they clashed, she won.

My interest in her grew the more I passed through this world of darkness.

As a lowly Shadow, I wandered.

Lost.

A chill despite the lack of temperature, and endless walkways yielded no hope.

Then I saw her.

She fought the nightmares clouding this strange land —including me as I attempted to greet her.

Still, I return.

Surviving as a human in my heartless infested world is not a skill I've completely mastered.

Time and time again my heart has been clawed into the darkness. My existence fades not for the first time, transforms, into one of them.

I feel I should lose control in those moments, however my awareness remains intact. In the form of a Shadow. My body will convulse, twitch, yet I can move of my own volition. Unlike the countless other heartless, who are driven by an all consuming darkness to take more for their army.

Under the glow of street lamps, a person unaware of my shadow presence manifesting below their sight, passes me by. Their light is tarnished by the darkness consuming this world, yet they retain their heart, and some lingering heartless instinct begs for my claws to take it.

I chose to fade back down into the shadows.

Not the shadows of my world. No. This is beyond that. A place only darkness can thrive.

At first, I manifested here with no escape.

Now I know how to return to the light— if only in this form. Crawling through the shadows, up the cavern-like walks, I collapse into the cracks where light tries to enter. However, it is actually a place only darkness can escape.

It's possibly not a world even on the same plain of existence as mine. Where that woman lives is a form of purgatory. But there is no way she originates from there. She is the light in that darkness. Like an antidote for the poison. Her blade releases the hearts trapped within those heartless.

Not that I'm an expert... this is the knowledge given to one who has had their heart released not for the first time.

If she's even aware of this power she possesses over the hearts trapped within the Shadows... it's hard to tell.

The steely gaze of a survivor morphs her resolve into something not altruistic. For she walks with languid steps, like wading in mud. Sees the darkness come to life, and her shoulders fall impossibly lower. Swings her blade, and lingers a second too long when it meets the ground.

She's not tired physically. That's impossible in this timeless realm.

It's the fire of her soul that's weakening, and it's worrisome. If she's the only one saving the heart's trapped down here, what will the world do when her light's extinguished?

I'd cheer her on if I had a mouth.

Meanwhile, watching from afar suffices —for me.

For her?

Any move closer to her is freedom on my part. Her blade against my chest, and my heart reunites with my body, yet she remains down here...

Maybe that's why I'm awful at surviving.

Flicking the soft shoulder length sapphire hair from her face reveals she never breaks a sweat.

And that shouldn't hurt.

However, she cannot rest. She cannot sleep for lack of actual exhaustion, let alone safety.

She feigns it though, when the hoards quiet down.

Lying upright against a boulder, she relaxes. Weapon still tightly in hand, her eyes drift to a close. Lips slightly parted, her deep breaths would tell onlookers she's gone to dream.

It's during these moments I like to reach closer.

As a heartless, the light of one's heart acts like a beacon. The stronger their purity, the brighter the light. It's tantalizing as a dweller of darkness for whatever reason.

Basking in her glow is enough for me.

Other shadows would reach with their claws, cloaked in darkness, to hold that light. To have that in their hands is intoxicating. If only for a moment. Then it becomes a Heartless, as all stolen hearts do.

...

I linger too long.

Everytime she does this, I sit criss-cross beside her within arms reach. Pretending on my part that we're friends enjoying the silent companionship of each others company.

This angel in the darkness.

If only she had an angel of her own.

"I thought you'd come."

She spoke!

I catapulted backwards, scrambling to my feet. Yet, fear combined with excitement made it difficult to do anything apparently. '_I thought you'd come_' spray painted itself onto the inside of my eardrums. Her voice. Her beautiful voice.

Somehow, despite being unable to properly stand, I made it behind a rock to reign in my emotions.

Wait... words have meaning.

What did she say?

Cautiously, I peeked around the rock. That's not right... I wouldn't have made it this far if she meant to end me.

The woman hadn't stood. She hadn't taken her eyes off me either. One of her brows rose. "Are you... aware?"

Trying not to started her, I nodded as slowly as this body would let me.

"Your eyes are a soft brown," she informed. "They're different from the rest. It's how I recognized you."

Are they? I never cared for my own appearance in this form. Still, I brought a clawed hand to my face as if that would verify her words.

"That's so peculiar," she said in reaction to my gesture. Gazing into the distance, she forlornly stated, "maybe I am going mad here."

Shaking my head and holding up my hands, I did my level best to say no.

She propped a hand against her hip. "Why won't you attack?" she asked, probing my head with her blade.

Which, with it closer, I see no blade. Although it is imbued with an energy that does make that hurt. I wonder if she knows that.

I rubbed my head where she tapped it.

"Oh." She repositioned her blade behind her leg against the ground. "Did that injure you?"

My shoulders jumped for fear of upsetting her.

She got up to step closer.

If I had an actual heart, it'd be pounding.

"Are you, perhaps-" she began, reaching closer with a compassion I felt undeserving of. "-someone I know?"

Oh. That.

I gave the smallest shake of my head. The lady fascinated me is all. A history with her sounds wonderful, but alas, it's something we don't have.

I bowed deeply when her usual stoney expression tugged into a frown. I merely wished to meet her, not hurt her!

Fidgeting with my hands after, I foundered for a better apology. Looking around, nothing proved useful for this endeavor. Flowers would be nice.

Like a butterfly through my ears, her small laugh kept me enraptured till it fluttered away.

She held a hand to her lips, as though the butterfly fascinated her as much as I. Her vibrant blue eyes widened, and she dropped the hand to her shoulder, face softening with a smile.

"Even now, there's something to remind me of expressions other than sadness." She held my eyes gently with hers. "Thank you."

What made... her smile? I tilted my head. What did I do? I shook my head. Wishing away her dismay came true, perhaps I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

* * *

If we're friends, or what, it's hard to tell.

She led the way. I followed of my own volition. Not so close though, she remained too wary if I did.

With no way to communicate without standing before her and gesturing, she took up the responsibility of filling the silence.

...

It's a work in progress.

Mostly she checks to see if I'm still there. Then idly comments on the surroundings.

"I wonder if this world goes on forever, or if I've been walking circles."

Who knows.

As the only explorers of this realm, whatever we fathom might as well be real.

Why does she always wish to walk anyways?

There are other things to do so boredom doesn't set in during her search. But maybe the thought has evaded her?

Down a winding path directly below, as this world is a twisted spider web of pathways, heartless hobbled along.

I kicked a rock down into the group.

One shadow knocked over, quickly scrambling back up to its feet. It held it's head, looking back and forth.

"Nice shot," she commented. Her sapphire tresses fell forward as she peered down. She tucked the strands behind her ear.

Something clicked and she took a rock to do the same.

The heartless she hit faded, slain by her mere rock.

I clapped.

She became rather sheepish, scratching behind her head. "Guess I don't know my own strength."

* * *

Anytime heartless come prowling, I hid away as she took the front lines. She won't allow me to do otherwise. With a sweep of her hand outward, she commands that I take cover. And won't leave her position between them and I until I do.

The first time we encountered trouble together I tried convincing the heartless to just leave - We're all darkness here, what's a little communication between comrades? - Turns out stronger heartless command weaker one's. If weaker one's don't listen, it's treason. Treason, as I've discovered, is dealt with by a deadly force. One Large Body knocked me back so far I had to squint to watch the lady's battle with them play out.

She took longer than usual.

Glancing over her shoulder after every hit. At me. I wanted to blush, but worry for her receiving an injury concerned me more than fledging emotions. _Just pay attention_, I wanted to say, _it won't matter if I fade away again_.

She rushed over when the area had been cleared. Kneeling at my side, closer than she'd ever been before. I could count her eyelashes. Could see the beautiful upward crease of her brows. The small downturn of her pink cushiony lips.

That's the first time she used cure magic on me.

The lady almost touched me, her fingerless-gloved hand came to hover above my cheek. "Are you okay?"

The need to reach back cloaked my hand like puppet strings almost beyond my control. The same way her blade hurt, would I do the same to her? Maybe she knows it would. Maybe that's why she won't bring herself to do more than this.

I gave a thumbs up.

She smiled. Genuinely smiled. The corners of her lips curled to her eyes in bliss.

If my expressions we're present, my mouth would've dropped into a dumbfounded stare.

"I don't even know your name," she noted, glancing around before she took a seat before me.

Me? She wants to know about me?

I eagerly surged forward. Then held where my lips should've been.

Her eyebrows rose before falling in understanding.

_Wait_; I held up a hand. Then in the dirt I began to spell... what?

Oh. Oh no. What is my name?

It never occured to me to think of myself. In this form, what's happening always absorbed what **had** happened. I didn't realize I couldn't remember my real life until I tried.

I sat back and slumped. No use trying. Where do my memories go, if my heart is here?

"Sorry." She offered. Her gaze roved over the ground. "For these creatures to lash out so violently, I knew they had no sense of individual self. Someone told me once that you used to be people."

I nodded. I remember sunlight. Flowers. The sea, and how deeply I could dive in.

"My name is Aqua," she smiled, and her bright blue eyes looked more like the life I could almost remember.

They matched that sea, except I'm afraid, I'm diving deeper and deeper into this one.

* * *

**A/N**

Back before Aqua was rescued, my mind ran away with ideas for who would save her, as you can see in my other story Stir the Wind.

This one was self indulgent, and I hadn't planned to post it, but here we are. Hope you enjoy.


	2. A Tentative Bond

From my height, it's tough to both look up at Aqua and watch the path for obstacles. So I watch the tap of her footsteps. When the rhythm of one step in front of the other ceased, it caught my attention.

Aqua's head popped up from her usual slump, like a thought interrupted all else. "Heartless, do you get tired?" Aqua asked, turning in place.

I lifted my hands. Do I? What fuels this body? Without a proper answer, I shrugged.

She remained rooted on the spot. When her eyes narrowed, and her lower lip jutted out slightly, I worried my answer was wrong. How could it be? Is there a nicer way to gesture 'dunno'?

So, I settled for clasping my clawed hands together, and cowering down.

"Calling you _Heartless_ is..." she tapped a finger to her temple, and sighed, tilting her head toward that hand. "You need a name."

I do?

I hopped from foot to foot. Aqua's eyes swayed to follow my movement. Her thoughts swam over her vision, and it was obvious she was looking without actually seeing.

"Your eyes," Aqua murmured.

_Yes_, I clenched my fists at my chest, _my eyes?_

A loose fist flew to her mouth and she blew a small laugh into it. "Stop it already, I'm trying to think."

I shook my head without really meaning to because she's thinking about **me**, and I don't think she knows how important this is.

"You're so silly," she fondly smiled. Rolling her eyes, she continued, "anyway. Brown like chocolate. So... how about Nougat?"

I leapt into the air. _A name! I have a name!_

"Okay, okay," she chuckled, waving her hand down. "It's not even that great. I'm simply going off your eye color."

I sharply shook my head. _It's a name from you!_ I pointed at her- _to me._ -and folded my hands over my chest._ It means so much._

Her cheeks pinkened. "Then... Nougat?"

I hopped forward in response.

She breathed into a smile. "I'm glad you like it."

* * *

More than anything, I wish an angel would come for this one. I can visit the world of light if it fancies me. Why is it a feeble shadow such as myself is allowed the freedom to choose light or darkness. Yet Aqua, in all her strength, is condemned to here?

"I'm trapped in this place because I chose to save my friend," Aqua confessed like my thoughts were somehow projected during our walk. "He had fallen to the darkness, so I dove in after to send him back to the light. Now I have two friends waiting for me out there." She looked up like the world would allow her a peek of what she wished to see. "I hope they're safe."

Why won't the sky open up? Give her a vision, or something of her friends condition? Of how close she is to freedom? Don't they knew she needs that?

Maybe they do.

Maybe it's how they keep her confined down here.

I scurried up to stand before her. _Listen_, I grabbed my antenna. _If they're as strong_, I flexed then patted where muscle would've been. _As you_, I pointed at her. _They'll be fine!_ I patted my chest.

"You're right, Nougat," she softly agreed, pulling a small blue star charm out to smile at. "Our heart's share a strong connection."

_That... wasn't my point, but okay_. I nodded her along.

"As long as I don't give up, we'll see each other again." She directed her smile a second too long down at me and a tingle ran down my spine. "The darkness likes to invade my thoughts. Make me doubt myself. It's funny a shadow would remind me of what's right."

I should learn sign language. If meager movements remind her to think positive, I can't imagine what actual words would do.

* * *

We made our way through a canyon of sorts. The echo and depth of it intimidated me, yet Aqua strode on like it didn't look like it would induce claustrophobia. Which is really saying something considering my current size.

"You know, Nougat, this reminds me of the mountains from my home world," Aqua reminisced, gliding her fingers against the boulder wall.

I stopped. Home _world?_ As if to reference one specific world from many that people live on? As in aliens? My head tilted. Aqua's an alien?

Aqua studied my movements. Then, "oh," Aqua's back straightened as she faced me fully. "Oh, shoot. The world order."

_No, no, no._ That sounds like she made a mistake and won't finish the story. I shook my head, then circled a hand at where my mouth would be._ Go on_. I threw my hands forth. _Your alien world!_

Aqua facepalmed.

My shoulders dropped with what would've been a doting smile. How adorable. She prides herself on not making mistakes. And, honestly, that makes this so much more memorable.

"Yes, there are more worlds than the one you know." An idea lit her eyes and she rubbed her chin. "Maybe I haven't ruined the world order. You already know of this world and your own?"

I nodded.

"And you know they're not the same?"

I repeated the gesture.

She sighed with a hand to her heart. "Thank goodness."

_Okay._ I flailed my arms. _You've validated yourself, now continue._

"It's..." She looked uncomfortable now. "Called the Land of Departure." We continued to walk, and she relaxed a bit more with each word and step forward. "My friends; Terra, Ventus, and I trained under Master Eraqus to achieve our dream of becoming keyblade masters. So far I've been the only one to succeed." She summoned her blade. "This is a keyblade, by the way."

Wow. I held my cheeks while gazing upon it. Amazing. She's a master of this incredible weapon? She handles it so flawlessly, of course she's had extensive training, and to be a _master!_

I tossed my hands up and jumped, splaying my fingers out as they went above my head in a cheer.

Aqua chuckled. "Thank you, Nougat. I'm quite proud of it myself."

* * *

Aqua currently preoccupied herself with the latest hoard of heartless. Small as they were, Shadows poured from a portal endlessly. Had time been an element, it could easily have been hours since this began. If I could destroy it...

Using my powers, if I had any, I'd imagine I could at least damage where they're originating from. That swirling black and purple ball loomed overhead. Poising my claws before my eyes, I called on the energy always pulsing through my veins. The tips of my claws flickered, and it felt like tar sloshing in my chest. Somehow, I remained steady, and leapt up, clawing a chunk out of that round blackness.

It morphed away from my strike like fire from water. Then, as if deciding against fleeing, the ball dropped. Straight down at me. A body slam that planted me painfully into the ground. With nothing to hinge it in place, the dark portal rolled away from the momentum supplied by shadows climbing out of it. The shadows panicked. Tumbling out faster, carrying me among the crowd as I hadn't the energy to resist. Meanwhile, I watched the ball teeter at the end of this borderless pathway. It teased the fall, rolling along the edge, barely hanging on.

One last shadow toed out, and tipped it over.

They plummeted into the unknown, heartless still pouring out.

Neat! I did something!

I turned to signal this to Aqua. And she stood closer than I anticipated. Keyblade overhead, her eyes flickered with recognition a second before thunder cast down.

* * *

My fingers twitched. Hardwood floor scraped against my nails. Sunlight pierced my eyes even before I'd opened them. My bay window curtains were still drawn, giving me a nice view of dusk slowly setting. I stood, and was greeted by the potted and bundled flowers I'd flourished the room with. Some on stands, others in display cases, the rest in buckets. All very watered, fed, and alive. The very day I became a heartless again and again never passed. Violet stands of hair fell over my eyes, and I blew them away.

Okay.

Now to find another heartless.

Stepping out of the shop, the bell overhead dinged, and I nearly barrelled into an older man on the tiled path ahead.

He raised a bushy brow from beneath his ascot cap, grunting out, "flower shop closing early, Ikori?"

"Yeah, sorry, Mister Masato," I apologized, momentary surprised by my own voice and memory. I didn't have one before, right? I blinked faster, looking all around for an escape. The memory of being a heartless is fading again.

"Hmph," Masato huffed. To anyone else, it would sound slightly aggressive, but I knew it was more of an acknowledgement.

"Another fight?" I asked.

He glanced at me, considering, before grumbling, "he hates me coming home late, but the factory allows so much overtime. How can I not choose money when the world is like this?"

Like this; meaning heartless infested.

"They do love the night," I spoke on his husbands behalf. "I'm sure he's worried for your safety."

"Hmph," and that huff was slightly aggressive.

I ran inside and grabbed an arrangement of yellow orchids. "On the house." I smiled, handing the bouquet off. "But you can't keep apologizing with flowers."

"Thank you, ma'am." He tipped his hat. "And I know. But whatever keeps me off the couch."

Not waiting for Masato to leave, I dashed around him onto the sidewalk. Across the brick road, into the alleyways of darkness sandwiched between buildings. All too soon a shadow shimmied into existence. My knees locked in place. It jerked it's shoulder, head turning abruptly, beyond its control.

Fighting the urge to run is unbearable. Already my body trembled under the effort. I could feel my eyelids pulled back to their furthest extent, and my tightly clenched teeth wanted to crack.

How does that lady fight these things? When I'm confronting them, terror takes on a whole new meaning. It's basically dying with a swipe of their claws. And despite the number of times we've reprised this scene, I'm always uncertain I'll even become a heartless again. What if it chooses to maul me instead? Can they actually kill?

It took one step and I ducked my head to my chest, eyes tightly shut. My hands clenched into fists, and toes curled.

The wait stretched for miles. And then...

Three sharp punctures struck below my chin. The force of its attack created a hollow thump before a burn oozed into my chest. If I looked now, I could see it, but then I would remember the last image of my heart where it shouldn't be. Just like all the times before. Eventually, the pain carried on too long, throbs of white hot pain replaced where my heartbeat should be.

I screamed.

And everything went black.

* * *

Somehow the memories hadn't quite resurfaced despite returning so swiftly to this shadow form. I traveled the winding pathways of this dark world, knowing the direction of her light as the beacon it's always been. This time, of course, I had things to remember. Smaller details that she confided in me... The previous times, I only had vague memories of that lady— Aqua!

I nearly forgot her name!

The excitement of remembering pulled me from scurrying the shadows for a small victory jump. Then I crept back into them. It's faster to travel in the shadows, crawling, like a roach does in the narrow gaps of furniture. _Oh._ When I came close enough to Aqua's light, I shook myself off. _That comparison was vile._

Elation buzzed in my fingertips and toes enough that I almost wished to dance. She's okay!

I tapped a finger to my chin. I was worried that she wouldn't be? Nonsense. She's... so strong. Why would I doubt she would be anything but well? Still. Even knowing her strength, I was worried.

...Something's not right.

Closer inspection brought certain things to my attention. Her footsteps were again heavy, stirring up dust with each footfall. She breathed with her lips slightly parted, like every exhale was a sigh. And her eyes... pools I could once drown in, iced over with impassable frozen walls.

_Aqua...?_

Right. No speech.

I scurried up to stand before her, swaying my hands for her attention.

Her head arched back, eyes widening. She actually _dropped_ her keyblade. "Nougat," she gasped my name like she hardly had a breath. "I thought..."

Aqua lowered to her knees, and wrapped her arms around me.

Um. Whoa. For fear of hurting her, I tucked my hands in close. But she's holding me, that means us touching is okay. Somehow, my face tingled. Whatever miracle made this possible urged me to savor it. So, shyly, I reached around to return her embrace.

She inhaled a small sharp breath, then relaxed her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I didn't recognize— wait." Aqua pulled back. "That isn't the first time I've attacked you. All those other times I rested, and you came close enough to alarm me. I released your heart..." She lowered her brow and frowned. "You... came back deliberately?"

I shrugged, reluctant to admit such a questionable decision on my part. Then nodded, because she deserves honesty.

She rested her hands on my shoulders. "Is your world that dangerous?"

I shook my head. No. Although the specifics are hazy, I know if I tried, I would be fine.

"Then why?"

_Because—_ I spread a hand to the dark abyss surrounding us. _In this world._ I pointed at her. _You're -_ I hugged myself _\- alone._

Her brows creased. "But you don't know me, how can you care so much for a stranger?"

That's hard to explain, even with words. So, I grabbed her hand with both of mine and tilted my head back with a quick shake._ It doesn't matter._ I tapped my forehead then pointed at her. _I know you now._ I shook her hand up and down. _We're friends **now**_. And stamped my foot. _I'm staying -_ I pointed at her _\- with you._

Her eyes softened, and the kindest smile touched the corner of her lips. Apparently words wouldn't work for her either, so she embraced me once more.

"Then, so that doesn't happen again." Aqua slipped out her blue star charm when she pulled away. Observing it closer, the intricacy amazed me. Blue stained glass framed in silver, centered by a heart identical to the one resting at her chest. She grabbed the twine wrapped at the top point, loosening it till it was free. At the other end of the twine was a smaller stained glass star that shined with every color of the rainbow. "Here." She tied the twine around my neck. And that smaller star came to rest at my chest. "Now I can distinguish you easily from the crowd."

* * *

**A/N**

Thank you **Aster Hikari**, and **SchismFES** for the reviews! There's more on the way.


	3. Strengthening Friendship

We came across floating platforms. I hopped from foot to foot at the ledge of one. I'd made the last jump just fine. Still, Aqua waits for me.

"Nougat," she's exasperated. "Can't I carry you?"

That would burden her hands. What if we're sneak attacked? I can remanifest. She cannot.

I waved her away, and she crossed her arms.

I burrowed into the shadows. Maybe I can travel the darkness over there, I navigated left and right, climbing around anywhere the shadows touched. When I came up, I stood at the same ledge, just slightly to the left.

Aqua looked irritated.

I shied away, fumbling around with my hands. Okay, fine. I took large steps back, then ran, catapulting toward her.

My stomach collided with the edge. I clawed myself up. Then, giving the gaping hole below one last look, I preened up at Aqua.

She raised an unimpressed brow.

Why?

Suddenly my accomplishment duled. If what I jumped was a foot, the next jump was a mile.

I slouched. Then clapped my hands above my head as I bowed in apology.

When I raised my head, I saw she had already knelt down, her hands cupped behind herself. She jerked her chin forward while maintaining eye contact. "Come on."

I tossed an arm up and took a step back.

Piggybacking!?

Why can't she carry me like luggage, or... a princess?

The thought of her cradling me in her arms, leaping bounds to carry us onward burned my mind. I could watch her unashamed from my vantage point for as long as I desired. Her eyes would be on the path mostly, not me. But! Vise-versa, She'd have open opportunity to gaze into my eyes.

I cupped my face from the embarrassment my imagination had to offer.

Still waiting, Aqua called out a confused, "Nougat?"

* * *

My current size compares to that of a five year old. It's an odd height with how lanky a shadow can be. From afar they look so small.

"I know you're not tired," Aqua stated, "but I like to occasionally pretend I am." She set me down and sat against a boulder on these floating platforms. It's a rather wide one, no chance of accidentally falling. "Living like this feels like I'm burning an unmelting candle at both ends..."

She chose a good spot. Considering I couldn't jump the gaps, neither can others.

I jabbed a thumb at myself then pointed to my eyes.

She laid her head back. "You'll keep watch?"

I nodded.

"Thank you."

She didn't have her keyblade out this time. Odd. I strode over and plopped down beside her.

"Oh," Aqua broke the silence. "I opened my eyes and you disappeared, thought you wandered off." She reached a hand around my waist, and pulled me onto her lap. I froze. "Is this okay?"

I managed a stiff nod.

Okay, huh. I just agreed to this. Okay, she said. Okay!? Like it's okay!

Her breathing evened out, and I decided then and there to play it cool. Cool and completely unmoving. She seemed comfortable. Aqua's hand rested over my lap, and no tension lingered in what I could feel of her body.

I can't imagine being more conscious of anything, than I am of her right now. Her body right beneath mine. Her breathing above me. I tried not to think of how I couldn't catch a breath I didn't have. One thing beyond my senses is her warmth. I wonder if I felt hot or cold to her. My vote is lukewarm. I hope she liked it.

Since we've established touching is safe, she has become fond of doing so. But then, wouldn't that mean she's a tactile person to begin with?

I wonder who used to hold her hand? Hug her? How did she spend her days in the light? Better yet, what's taking her friends so long to find her? Surely I'm not the only one aware she needs help.

The black of the Dark Realm above matched the black below. Is it possible for her to find any form of destination here? It all looks the same. How does she find the drive to move on? Is this a place she can just... walk out of? Or would she have to have dark powers like mine?

I don't want her to feel this, if it's the only way out. To put it mildly, it feels gross. On a larger scale, the need to let go puts my self control on reigns made of candy floss. How I remain in control is as big a mystery to me as anybody.

One thing is certain.

Living this life, for her, helps.

* * *

Aqua came across an open area among the rocks and boulders and pebbles. She pointed her keyblade at a pile of rocks she'd moved herself, stacked nice and neat like a tiny mountain. Which weren't the best targets as they looked like the rest of the scenery differing in shades of blue, but she spaced them apart evenly, so I pretended like that made a difference.

"If you can learn to protect yourself, maybe we can be more of a team than an escort."

I waved a flippant hand over my shoulder._ I never asked for protection._

Her keyblade thumped the back of my head. _Ow._ I rubbed that sore spot. She's getting better at deciphering my jerky body language. Dunno if that's a good thing yet.

"If you have any magic, we'll hone in on it now. Watch." She summoned a flame, and fired it at a rock to the far left. When the dust and smoke settled nothing remained.

I raised a hand above my head then flung it at her target. _You raise the bar extremely high._

She stood akimbo, one brow lowered, the other raised. "I'm demonstrating. Now, you."

At this point I had to wonder if she could read my mind.

I approached the center rock, and called forth that dark power like I did once before. It felt like a sour stomach rumbling down my arm. In my chest I could feel something like the heavy weight that pulls under ones eyes when awoken in the middle of REM. Almost indescribable sensations that all felt wrong. And I attacked.

It took a sizable chunk, but not enough that this power would be any use down here.

She tapped a thoughtful finger to her cheek, and crossed her other arm across her waist. "What are you capable of defensively?"

I shimmied into the shadows.

She hummed in acknowledgement. "This is what a normal shadow can do."

I reformed before her, and she knelt to my height.

"I can feel it." She poked a finger to my chest. "There's a light within you that stubbornly chases away dark intentions. Can you find that?"

I laid a clawed hand to my chest. She can feel my light? Like... physically?

"Focus on that when you draw forth magic." Her keyblade sparked. Aqua swung her blade upwards, shooting a small thunder into the air. Tiny glittering sparks fluttered down. Illuminating our surrounding area like a field of fireflies. They lit up her eyes and cheeks as her own face brightened with a smile.

I stood up straight at this new fascinating scene.

"Latch onto thoughts of happiness. The feel of sunlight on your skin. The rush of receiving a gift. The excitement in giving one." Aqua met my eyes and breathed in all those memories herself, but sighed, only a tiny fall of her brows gave her away. She missed them... "What makes you happy?"

I turned to a new pile of rocks. Lifting my hands, I cupped them upward, like I held a large invisible ball before my chest. Something curled around my arms from my elbows, the swirl of a bright green vine shaped energy. It climbed into the space between my hands, and morphed into a yellow orb. That orb vibrated a second before exploding with petals all around. A large flower spun a circle in the space between my palms. I set the flower down and it began to bounce around, spreading pollen all around us. It felt... familiar. I think I've done this before.

"A sleep inducing pollen," Aqua observed. She spread her arms wide in excitement. "Tactical magic! Nougat, you did it!"

And there's the smile that helped me accomplish this feat in the first place.

* * *

**A/N**

KINGDOM HEARTS DLC CAME OUT TODAY!

Here's a chapter in celebration! :D


	4. A Fond Farewell

Aqua let out a small laugh then dashed further ahead. She sat and motioned for me to do the same. I did. The ground beneath my claws collapsed and subsided against me. Oh. Sand. Despite how I originally planned to use this for communication, dirt and sand are hard to find among the rocky terrain in this realm.

Aqua spoke a lot more now; about her home, her friends, her life. She kept questions for me to a yes or no. Then saved her bigger questions for moments like these.

"What's your favorite color?" she asked right off the bat.

I faltered. Really? To be the first one, this is the most important question she's held onto after all that time?

Although she couldn't see my eyes move, they flickered to her eyes and hair. I answered with my usual jumpy hands, they misspelled a few times, but I got it out. **Blue**.

Aqua reached up and studied her hair by pinching it between her fingers.

I almost erased it.

"What a coincidence," she said instead.

Oh well.

"Personally, I don't have a favorite," Aqua admitted softly, she leaned over her bent knees, and hugged them. "At the moment, that is. It does change occasionally."

I nodded. It kinda struck me how comfortable she looked despite the situation. It was nice to see her like this.

Her cheek smooshed against her kneecap as she looked at me. "Do you remember anything about who you used to be yet?"

That question again... Funny how that works. Snippets of the world I came from flashed across my mind, but how often do you look at yourself? Somehow, I think that's what made my human self harder to describe. Except...

**I work with flowers.**

Her attention honed in on those words. "That makes sense. Hey!" She sat up straight. "You must've already mastered a form of magic. With the flowers! So, a part of the real you bleeds through here when you use the magic from your light." I didn't think it possible, but her smile looked... wistful. "I wish I could meet you."

I got up, pressed both hands to my body, and leaned my chest forward.

"Yes. The _real_ you. I know I shouldn't, but being with you has made me selfish. I hope I can get out of here soon and find you to finally meet you. I want to know how you start your mornings, and what you do on rainy days." Her eyes fell. "You make me miss the light so much more, but at the same time, you give me so much to look forward to, that the hope in my heart stays alive." She cupped my cheek and smiled with a warmth I swear I could feel. "You have no idea how important that is right now." Her hand slipped away, and I fell a step forward following her touch. "You're already amazing, I'm sure whoever you are out there is even more incredible."

I clasped my hands together and shook my head. I'm probably average, I'm almost certain of that.

"You don't believe me?" Aqua smirked.

I didn't want to call her a liar, but...

"A fragment of your consciousness remains aware. When the rest of the world submitted, you stayed strong. How can you cling to your light as a shadow, and tell me you aren't amazing for doing so?"

That's... true. But I'm not aware of the effort in not losing control. Other than the fact that I couldn't imagine losing her. At first I admired her bravado in this world that demanded she accept defeat. Now...? Now I don't know what I'd do if she were stuck down. I never thought I'd be here this long to begin with. (However long it's been.) I never thought _she'd_ be here this long. Although, by now I know there _are_ others searching for her, I can't imagine her wait being much longer.

"Perhaps," Aqua spoke while contemplating, "if you called on your light, it's possible to retrieve who you once were. You've already reclaimed your magic. Why not memories?"

Memories... okay. I can try that. I sent my thoughts down deep into my chest.

"Do you hear that?" Aqua stood. She summoned her blade, surveyed her immediate surroundings, then walked around a few boulders. Given a moments silence, she called, "Nougat!" Then came to yank me through by the arm. "It's a beach!"

Amazing. An honest beach. Sand, waves, the moon. The only tell of where we still were was the ominous rock structure winding and spiking out on the horizon

As she admired what this new space had to offer, I looked inward once again. The light hid. Like a rabbit burrowing deeper into its hole. I almost gave up trying to catch it. Then it touched my awareness of its own volition, and lashed out. Like a million paper cuts on my soul, it ached, and ached worse when I moved closer or away. Still. Being there is what injured me, so I retreated.

Coming back was exhausting.

Aqua had me in her arms. She whispered like anything louder would make me worse, "what did you do?"

I lifted my hand. It was not black, but a dark purple, splotched with an occasional angry white. Exhaustion actually existed now, but that can't be good.

"Nougat," Aqua fretted, jostling me.

Behind Aqua a heartless I'd never seen before manifested. It was huge. It snarled on all fours, like a huge gargoyle wolf, its red ears spiked forward like horns. Aqua only sensed its presence when it growled, ready to charge.

Shoving myself away, I summoned a flower, and tossed it at the heartless' face to buy time.

It stumbled. Dizzy.

Aqua had her keyblade summoned by then, but the thing recovered fast, and came after _me_.

"Your light," Aqua gasped. She used her barrier between me and the thing. "It's after your light! Nougat, get out of here!"

The need to argue presented itself, but I've also discovered being a liability is worse than trying to help in situations like these.

I shimmied into the shadows, but couldn't. So I resorted to running, but fell. My strength amounted to nothing. And without a real body, the rush of adrenaline to keep me moving never came.

"Nougat," Aqua pled past her gritted teeth as she watched me from the gap under her arm.

Aqua summoned a fireball when her barrier shattered, blasting it right at the beings eyes. It swiped a paw at its face.

She took that moment to grab my arm, swinging us in a circle to gather momentum, so she could catapult me further down the shore.

When she turned, the thing pounced at her. Aqua wasted no time. Summoning a thunder to disorient it, Aqua cartwheeled under its assault to safety before the paws struck ground.

The heartless shook its head, electrical sparks rippled around its body and it struggled a moment for its barings. A weak point. Aqua shot thunder rapid fire, ending in a blast to top them all. Thunder showered down in walls of bright flashes around and through the heartless. It collapsed.

Not destroyed.

Aqua came at it while it was down. Slashing at it's head in hopes of doing more damage in a less amount of time.

The heartless regained consciousness. It's bright yellow marble eye, the size of her head, fixated on her. Aqua took the hint, and ceased her barrage to leap back to a safe distance. The heartless ambled to its feet and curled its head down. The shadows cast by the moon peeled off the ground, and flew into the heartless' jaws.

Is it recovering?

Aqua realized it's true intentions sooner and broke into a mad dash at me.

She yelled, "Nougat get out of here!"

I couldn't move. _She's scaring me. _If Aqua intends to protect me, I wish this vessel would hurry up and fade away!

A forcefield inflated from the heartless like a balloon, spreading further fast till it hit Aqua like a solid wall. It hit me soon after, yet nothing...

I looked up. All around a glittering barrier dissolved after doing its job. From Aqua's place facedown on the ground, her keyblade faded in a flash of bright lights pointing at me.

She _didn't!_

Seeing no need to rush, the heartless pawed closer to Aqua's unconscious body.

_Don't you dare!_ I wanted to scream.

It lifted its large claws precariously over her.

_DON'T YOU DARE!_

My arms pulsated with dread I didn't have to imitate in order to call the darkness. They darkened to a black that seemed impossible, it sucked in the pigment from the surrounding area, and spilled that grim color into a growing puddle against the sand. A clawed hand reached up from the puddle, as if summoned. Then thousands of heartless like me spewed from the ground, winding into the air like a thick vine.

I was in control of this hoard of heartless, our hive minds formed into a conglomerate of me. And we fought back. We tackled the heartless wolf head on. It snarled, trying to fight back. Yet in the rush of this flood of shadows, it seemed powerless. Soon the black of my hoard engulfed the heartless, and it's began to melt. The same way it ate the shadows, these shadows consumed it.

With it gone, my imaginary adrenaline - rush of darkness - what have you, faded. And the other shadows with it. In midair they faded. So I fell.

"Oof!" Aqua caught me and fell with my weight and her combined exhaustion. When she could sit upright, she sat me in her lap, holding me up at my back. "That was," she trembled, "terrifying."

I couldn't nod. I couldn't do anything.

"Nougat?"

But she probably already knew that.

Her face pinched. She bit her lip, and took a deep breath. "Please, don't go."

_Of course_, I wanted to say, but I couldn't feel my legs.

She cupped my cheek, leaning her forehead against mine. "Promise me you'll come back."

By some miracle, I twitched my head for the smallest nod. _I'll always come back_.

* * *

When first coming into awareness, I had to stop myself from walking. This body must've been traveling by itself. The physical exhaustion weighing down this vessel from that continuous action hit like a Large Bodies punch.

Reaching inward, I could still call on my heartless memories pretty vividly. Vise-versa, my human counterpart came to light as well.

Although this body _appeared_ in all instances to be my living one, the darkness snaked into the seams of my being, like smoke through a vent. And I could still feel those dark claws deep in my chest.

So, it's not my body... it must be a nobody, like the occasional ones in town.

My awareness must've remained in the heartless, so this version of me existed in tandum... without me, so to speak.

Like the heartless, this nobody vessel wasn't exactly _alive_ either. I pushed my pulse point, and came up empty. Actually, I _felt_ empty.

Putting that aside, what realm is this? It carried on like the endlessness of the last one. Except this one was perfectly uniform. No direct path to go one way or another.

Worst so, it seems existence isn't kind on this vessel. The darkness of it picked at itself, like petals off an already wilting flower. It must've been doing so for awhile, because I could feel it. This body won't last much longer.

But Aqua...

I saved her. I saved her. And I'd do it again.

I tried burrowing into the shadows, but this vessel of darkness didn't work the same. Still. A power like grime swam in my chest. How can I use this to see Aqua?

From the ground a few feet ahead, a black and purple bubble inflated, and ribbons unfurled from the base, blooming the portal to life as it became bigger.

Aqua. I wished to see Aqua. Would this portal take me there?

It pulsated with an ominous aura. I recognized it. That dark realm!

I stepped closer, and wobbled. The portal mirrored my stutter. And the darkness lurking inside this vessel decided now to pull those seams of mine apart.

My body began to blur.

It's fading.

I'm... dying?

A hand came through the portal, then a body fell the rest of the way in with a surprised, "oh!"

Aqua was mere steps away. I could see her, without looking up.

My presence brought a surprised raise to her brows, and stopped up her words. After all that time it must be jarring to see an actual person. We stood at equal heights. Almost. She looked slightly taller.

But that's beside the point. She's free. In this neutral zone, I could feel it wouldn't be hard for her to return home. She need only wish it. Like I had.

I beamed at her, holding my elbows like it would keep me from falling apart, breathing out an amazed, "you're safe."

My legs refused to hold me up any longer. I fell straight to my knees.

"Hey!" Aqua rushed to me. She came to her own knees, reaching for the fluttering pieces of this vessel chipping off into the nothing. "What's happening?" When tears tumbled off my lashes, her tone dropped to a gentle whisper. "Who are you?"

"Ikori," I told her. Then softly laughed, and reached for my necklace. "Nougat."

Aqua's eyes widened. Her upper body came forward, and she continuously looked me up and down. "Nou- Ikori? You- How-?" She stumbled over the words. Then took my hand. "You're a person. A real person." She trailed down my being again, returning over and over to my eyes. Then bluntly stated, "you're a woman."

I laughed. Elegant as always.

It broke her from the shock, and she laughed too, if only for a moment.

"I want you to try something," I gently coaxed.

"Sure," she readily agreed. She probably thought I was going to hand her an answer to fix this body. Chivalrous to a fault.

"Wish, with all you heart, to be with your friends again."

She stared at me like I promised her a banana and gave her an apple. So I added, "please?"

She closed her eyes, concentrating, and it only took a second. Behind me I could feel the realm of light, wherever she hoped to be, it's there.

Aqua could feel it too, if the mesmerized spark in her eyes was anything to go by.

"For so long-" Her attention fixated on my words in a second. "-I stayed a heartless hoping someone would save you." I breathed into a smile. "I never thought it'd be me."

The exhaustion amounted to pain. It filled my chest like a ball of needles on every available surface, and no matter how still I was, those needles got hotter, and pushed out further.

Aqua grabbed my upper arms. "Come with me."

I shook my head. "This looks like my body, but it's a nobody. Once it fades, I'll awaken at home, as I always do, in Radiant Garden."

Aqua longed for the light, but leaned in close to solemnly promise, "I'll come find you."

"Who says I won't find you first?"

She pointed at herself, "keyblade master."

I smirked. "Promise?"

"Promise." Her smile slowly disappeared. "Does it hurt?"

I held myself tighter because I didn't like lying to her.

"I might not remember you," I said instead, unable to meet her eye. "Memories made in a form of darkness like to stay there. The same with light. Here it feels like both, so everything's a bit there for now."

Her eyebrows were creased when I looked up. A dampness coated her eyes, she frowned deeper, and I realized she could see my expression the one time I didn't want her to.

I caught a tear trailing down her cheek with a kiss.

Her sadness morphed into an embarrassed flush. She gasped and held her face where my lips touched. Her mouth moved uselessly as she tried to form words.

"No matter what the future holds," I told her, "I'll always cherish meeting you."

* * *

Aqua touched her cheek, staring at the ground like she could see past that, beyond worlds beyond this one.

"You're zoning out again," Terra teased.

She shoved him. "Am not."

Ventus leaned back in his chair, twirling his spoonful of ice cream. "So, where to now?"

Aqua stretched, holding her ice cream cone momentarily above her head. "After a week of recovery, we marathoned a rescue operation to save the worlds mangled by heartless. _Finally_, we stop for ice cream in Disney World, and _you_ wanna leave?" She was surprised their passes still worked. Although Mickey upgraded the passes from _Disney Town_ to World. The amusement park outside the castle had expanded exponentially.

"I'm done resting, I wanna have fun. Hey!" He leaned over the table. "Let's bring Roxas and his friends here!"

Terra and Aqua stared at him.

"What?"

Terra set his sundae down. "If we go home with Roxas in your clothes again—"

"That was _one_ time, let it go!"

Aqua laughed.

"Okay," Terra stood up to throw away his trash. "Twilight Town then?"

"Yes!" Ventus jumped up, taking one last big bite.

Aqua pushed out of her chair. "You two go on ahead. I'm going to visit Radiant Garden."

Terra raised a brow. "Again?"

"Don't you pay attention?" Ventus asked Terra with a smirk. "It's where her special friend lives."

Terra's lowered eyebrow rose to meet the other. "You haven't found her yet?"

She crossed her arms, looked upward, and sighed. "It's not like I can go through the entire world and knock on everyone's door."

"Well, good luck," he bid.

* * *

**A/N**

I'm still pretty excited about the DLC. Although the data battles are murdering me. Teleportation should be illegal :(


	5. Color

Ikori knelt into her garden, picking out weeds. Her sunhat blocked off the harsher waves of sunlight. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. But it did nothing against the heat.

"Thought I'd find you here."

Ikori sat up. "Aerith," she greeted. "You know the shop's closed today, right?"

"Yes," she answered with a smile. "I'm not here for my favorite snapdragons. I'm here to make you an offer."

Ikori removed her gloves and invited Aerith in for some tea.

Cupping her tea with both hands, Ikori asked, "now, what offer?"

"As you know, I work with the Restoration Committee."

Ikori nodded, taking a sip.

"And we have finally brought Radiant Garden back to its former radiance." Aerith smiled. "But not so much the garden." She slipped a paper out of her bag. "That's why we would like to contract you as our florist." She chuckled at Ikori's widening eyes. "We will pay for every flower, and!" -she pulled out a purple card- "you get full membership benefits."

Ikori accepted the card with curious trepidation. She read the back of the card. "Discounts at the shops?" Her eyes sparked with excitement. "Cool! Count me in!"

* * *

Aqua strolled alongside Leon down the tiled walkway. She admired the vibrant flowers in windowsills, as she informed him, "we've been going from world to world, organizing restoration committees like yours."

Leon breathed a small laugh. "We're flattered."

She smiled. "Bringing the townsfolk together to, not just rebuild, but make it better has been the best way for them to recover from the damage done by the heartless."

He nodded. "Although their numbers have diminished, they still pose the occasional issue. People know better than to confront them alone now."

"Yeah," Aqua's voice drifted. "Listen, have you met anyone around here named Ikori?"

Leon scratched the back of his head. "That name again?" Then he slowly dropped his hand with a dawning realization. "Actually, I do know an Ikori."

He turned them around, past the town square to a courtyard in the middle of a neighborhood.

There.

A purple haired woman perched at the top of a ladder, arranging flowers in a windowsill. Several pots and a hand trowel sat at the top cap before her.

"Ikori!" He called out to her. She didn't hear. "Ik-"

"It's fine, Leon, I'll take over from here," Aqua nearly whispered despite their distance from her.

"Alright." He turned to leave. "I'm heading back to Cid's if you need me."

Aqua absently waved him goodbye.

She stood there for longest time, across the courtyard, studying her movements for clues that it was really her. That, and Aqua hoped Ikori would notice her first, speed up a process Aqua was having a hard time going through with.

If it wasn't her...

She moved closer without conscious thought as her eyes tried to catch every glimpse of her to verify that it's _her_. When no more steps could be taken, and Ikori failed to notice her presence, Aqua spoke up, "What-" She cleared her throat when the word was too quiet, and asked louder, "what are you up to?"

Not taking her eyes off the daisies in her hand, Ikori smirked and repeated, "up to." Leaning back slightly, she said, "I've been commissioned to replant the gardens. And the weather's great up here before you-" She looked down, and shock slapped her the millisecond they met eyes. Ikori jolted in place, blurting, "Aqua!"

And promptly fell off the ladder.

Aqua reacted instantly, reaching out to catch her like second nature. She set Ikori to her feet just as fast, and opened her mouth to say something.

"Whoa!" Ikori gasped upward. She grabbed Aqua by the shoulders, and shoved them both forward. At the last second, Ikori turned to not land on top of her. They both hit the ground, sitting up to look at the shattered pot which had toppled from atop the ladder.

"I'm so sorry!" Ikori removed her gloves and leaned forward, shoulders pulled in tight, as she clasped her hands together at her stomach. "I looked at you, and it's— this whole image popped into my mind, and I'm not this clumsy, I swear!" She quieted at the end, rushing out, "please don't tell Aerith."

Unfortunately, Aqua hadn't heard any of that. She reached her hand out, not close enough to actually touch for fear of her answer to the question. "Do you remember me?"

Considering Aqua's hesitance, Ikori felt that one of the many worlds hinged on her answer here, and she didn't have a good one. Asking if Aqua was a customer felt silly. This woman is _gorgeous_. She would remember her. She should remember her. But aside from the name, she doesn't. Although, the longer she's with her, the more _something_ surfaced. Her chest tightened up, and worry of upsetting her made Ikori search heart and mind for something better than _no_. However, the further she searched, the answer presented itself less as memories and more as raw emotions bubbling up in her chest. So much that she feared it wouldn't remain contained for long "Aqua, it's- I know that's your name-" Aqua nodded, but Ikori's eyes had fallen, like they were pulling puzzle pieces together in her mind. Emotions pulled into words, but just barely. "-but I don't know _why,_ and my mind can't remember a... a thing." She hiccuped, and spoke around a ball that rolled into her throat. "But my heart missed you, and it's like you've been gone this whole time. Now your here, and the more I try to remember, the more I just _feel_." Tears tracked down her cheeks. She met Aqua's understanding smile, and creased brows, and Ikori sniffled. "Now I'm crying, and I don't know why!"

Aqua laughed despite her worry, clasping her hands at her chest.

Ikori wiped her tears with her apron. "I think I should ask who you are." She dropped her hands into her lap. "But all that I want to know is where you've been."

A passerby stopped nearby, concern colored their eyes, and reached for their lips. Ikori jumped to her feet before they could ask, quickly pulling Aqua to do the same. That's when she surveyed all the attention they had gathered, townsfolk whispering, and occasionally looking at the two from their own conversations.

"Maybe not here." Ikori suggested. Without a pause, She pulled Aqua's hand, and led them through the town.

"Where are we going?" Aqua asked, keeping with her pace.

"My place!" Ikori eagerly informed her.

"Your place!?" Aqua stumbled in time with her heart.

* * *

They entered a closed flower shop. Aqua stopped to admire the intricate bouquets, healthy potted plants, and dozens of other beautiful flowers all around the room.

Ikori returned with two cups of warm tea.

"I do all the arrangements myself," Ikori informed her like a secret in an effort to not interrupt her moment.

Aqua accepted the cup, and shook her head to help the words get through to her brain. "You work here?"

"Worse," Ikori giggled. "I own the shop."

Aqua turned to face her, and clenched her fist into a single up-down shake. "That's incredible! You do all this alone?"

"No, there are others I've hired, but also..." Ikori scrunched up her nose and grinned. "I cheat."

Aqua asked, slightly bemused, "how?"

"Well..." Ikori set her tea to the counter, and rubbed her hands together. "What's your favorite color?"

Aqua darted her gaze around the room before resting on Ikori's bright violet eyes.

"Purple," she answered, ignoring the warmth of her cheeks. "Oh."

"_What's your favorite color?" she asked right off the bat._

_Nougat faltered, then sketched in the dirt with jumpy hands, __**Blue**__._

_Aqua reached up and studied her hair by pinching it between her fingers. _

"_What a coincidence," she said._

At that moment, Aqua understood the truth of her word, and immediately wished to know how much of Nougat stuck to Ikori.

"And you?" Aqua asked, then clarified, "what's your favorite color?"

"Hm," she voiced, halting her hand motions. "As a florist, I have to say I love all colors..."

"Right." Aqua nodded to the ground. Highering your expectations only makes the fall greater. She should've known.

"But personally-" A bright green light wrapped around Ikori's arm like a vine, and disappeared into her index and thumb fingers which were pressed together. A stem grew upwards from there, producing a bud for two bellflowers that bloomed in a burst, one purple the other blue. She tucked the purple one behind Aqua's ear. Then did the same with the blue in hers. "-I prefer blue."

They searched each others expression like something would give away more than their words could.

"So," Aqua cleared her throat and sat against the counter they stood beside. "How much do you remember?"

Ikori had to give her heart a moment to jump back in her chest. "I-I'm sorry?" She mirrored Aqua's stance.

Aqua took a sip of tea, and asked, "Is there anything you remember about being a heartless?"

Ikori still couldn't tell if it was the sunset through the window, or if Aqua was actually blushing.

"Not much. Mostly feelings, and darkness," Ikori quieted as she reminisced. "And the brightest light." She wistfully reached her hand out. "Heartless long to hold the light of a heart, because they miss it. They miss their own light, and never think that stealing someone else's light would curse them to the same existence."

Aqua was somewhat disappointed. So, Nougat followed her on instinct... for her light. "I can't imagine what it was like," Aqua consoled like her own chest didn't ache.

"Oh, no," Ikori let out an embarrassed laugh. "Not me. I remember feeling the- the _need_ to do that, but I was more or less coherent. My time as a heartless was so ridiculous, you'd laugh. See," she set her drink down and spread her arms wide. "There's this whole other world darkness filters into. Except it wasn't just darkness down there."

Aqua squinted an eye at the wall. She knows this. Doesn't she know that she knows this?

"This warrior with the brightest light had been trapped down there. I thought-" Ikori shrugged. "-they shouldn't be alone. I made sure to keep that person company." She shook her head with a smile. "It was reckless, becoming a heartless over, and over, and I don't even really remember what happened down there." Ikori fiddled with her necklace. Aqua fixated on it, forgetting the drink pressed to her lips. The same necklace she gave Nougat. The piece of her wayfinder she gave away to make sure she never lost her again. "What I do know, is that whoever was trapped down there is finally free, and..." Her voice lowered to a gentle whisper. "I'm in love with her."

Aqua choked on her tea.

"I'm sorry!" Ikori fussed, patting Aqua's back. "It was too hot. It's too hot, isn't it? I should've told you to blow it."

It dawned on her throughout the entire story; Ikori remembers, but she doesn't _remember_. "No, no," Aqua assured her. "I breathed when I was suppose to swallow. I'm fine." Getting to her feet, she cleared her throat, and stated, "You remember finding someone in the darkness."

Ikori nodded. Then clasped her hands together. "Listen, I already got a lecture from someone who saw me turn into a heartless, if you—"

"I'm not here to lecture you" Aqua cut her off. "But you don't remember anything else about this person?" Aqua circled her hands, urging Ikori on. "Anything at all?"

Ikori held her cheek and sighed dreamily at the window. "She was beautiful in heart and soul."

Aqua inhaled till her lungs were full, but it didn't stop her cheeks from going aflame. "I-" Aqua stuttered. "I promised to meet my friends somewhere." She tried, but couldn't wait for Ikori's acknowledgement, and headed for the door.

"Hold it!" Ikori leapt to snatch Aqua's arm as she opened the door. "Will I see you again?" She had a feeling Aqua didn't live in the neighborhood.

Aqua couldn't turn back around for fear of what her face looked like. "Yeah," she affirmed. "I visit the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee practically everyday, I will definitely be back."

"Awesome!" Ikori let go. "See you tomorrow then."

"Yeah," Aqua agreed.

* * *

A/N

This one's for you **powerrangersoflight **;)


	6. The Stars of the Land

"What's with the flower?" Lea bluntly queried.

"Huh!?" Aqua jumped. She forgot it!

Xion elbowed Lea.

He rubbed the spot and glared as she crossed her arms.

"What?" He crossed his own arms. "Is this a social que I'm missing? It's Aqua. It's a flower. It's out of the norm, and I'm curious. How else can you tackle this?"

Xion turned, hands clasped together. Her soft voice lilted as she spoke, "wow, what a beautiful flower! It really compliments you."

Aqua pressed her fingertips to the petals. "You think so?"

Lea rolled his eyes.

"Yes." Xion smiled. "Where did you get it?"

"From a friend in Radiant Garden. Her name's Ikori," Aqua admitted, tucking into herself slightly. Ikori's confession ran circles in her mind, and made it hard to focus on anything else.

"No way!" Roxas exclaimed, bounding in from the ice cream shop. "You found her?"

Aqua's eyes darted between Lea, Xion, and Roxas. Had she mentioned Ikori to them before?

Lea threw an arm around Roxas' shoulders. Roxas flinched, and Lea raised a brow. "Where's my usual greeting?" He leaned in close. "You promised to make it extra special today."

Xion pulled Roxas away. "Don't pick on Ventus, you knew he wasn't Roxas when he ordered the Double Crunch."

Lea threw his arms up and spun around to buy his Bueno Volcano. Xion took a bite of her Milky Way as they stood around waiting for Terra and Ve— Roxas to return from getting Naminé.

"Did she remember you?" Ventus asked, recovering his enthusiasm.

"Yes, and no." Aqua bit a strawberry from her Royalberry. "I'll have to explain more when Terra gets here."

"Aww," Ventus slouched over his treat.

Lea plopped down onto a nearby bench. "When's Roxas getting back?" He ate a big scoop of his ice cream. "I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind."

"You think we haven't tried that?" Aqua glared side-long at Ven. He shied away. "I think we're going to have to make him his own armor. He keeps borrowing Ven's."

Xion cut her arm across Ven's chest. "If he gets one, I want one too!"

Lea jumped to his feet. "What about me?"

Isa scoffed from the bench. "I don't know how you put up with these shenanigans."

"Oh, _please!_" Lea rolled his eyes with his head at Isa. "Stop acting like mister superior. There's no ranks here-"

"Aside from master," Xion added.

"-aside from master, and you don't even have a keyblade."

"Hmph," he narrowed his eyes at the Snow Bear in his hand. "As if manifesting one is difficult." He folded one leg over the other. "After all, you did it."

"Yeah." Lea summoned his keyblade, and snatched it out of the air. He aimed it at Isa's chest, staring down his nose. "Want to test it out?"

Xion turned to Ventus. "Where is Roxas anyway?"

"The gummi ship can only hold four comfortably. So, he and Terra went to get Naminé after you, Isa, Lea, and Roxas landed."

"Naminé?" Xion's cheeks pinkened, she ducked her head and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Oh, Naminé, huh?"

Aqua pulled her ice cream away to watch Xion pace. She whispered behind her hand at Ventus. "What's going on?"

"Roxas told me they're dating."

"Really!?"

"Shh!" Ventus waved his hands. "I don't know who knows."

Aqua hummed to herself, "dating, hm..."

The idea hadn't entered her awareness. With everything going on, the last time dating made itself known was when Zack asked her out.

Aqua felt her cheeks warm, and decided to take a walk around the square.

Why does dating have to be an option anyway? Ikori loves her, or... an image of her. It doesn't mean they can't just be friends. Oh. Maybe that's how she meant it... A friend type of love.

Aqua lifted her hand. Odd. Her chest seemed to flop uncomfortably...

"Why?" Terra demanded.

Aqua swiveled in place. "Terra!"

"I specifically said for them **not** to do this."

"Hey, Aqua!" Naminé said in passing.

Aqua smiled and waved hello.

"Technically," Ventus cut in, "you asked to not go home with Roxas."

Roxas threw an arm around Ventus' shoulder. "And we aren't home, nor did we go there."

Terra turned around to Lea, asking, "why don't they do this to you?"

Lea smirked. "Cause I don't let them. Turn their game against them." He hopped to his feet and tilted Ventus' chin up with his finger. "It's funner that way."

Ven flushed, bringing Roxas to snake an arm between them.

Aqua sympathetically patted Terra's shoulder. "You shouldn't let them take advantage of you like that."

He glared pointedly at her hand. "Whose side are you on?"

She pulled away to laugh into her palm. "Sorry. You're the only one they mess with, to be fair."

"Hey!" Ven lowered his voice, retaining his excitement, he asked her, "can we talk about Ikori now!?"

Lea had dragged Roxas off, so Aqua saw no way around it and sighed. "She remembers me, and she remembers something of being a heartless. But she doesn't know the person she met as a heartless in the Dark Realm was me."

"That's progress!" Ven cheered. "The way you explained it, I was afraid she wouldn't remember you at all."

Terra flipped his hand over at her. "But you told her that it was you, right?"

Aqua shifted her weight to her other leg and eyed her melting ice cream. "It's... complicated. I'm going to try becoming her friend first."

Terra itched his forehead. "Wouldn't it be easier if you two could share more of your perspectives in the Dark Realm? Bonding, right?"

_Bonding_, she thought with a dizzying sensation. Aqua wobbled her head left and right to rid the idea. "Well... it's... complicated."

Terra couldn't puzzle her out. She's never stubborn like this. "Well, I'm sure Ikori would like talking to someone about what it was like down there as much as you would like to have someone who understood the same way." He nodded at the ground. "I know having Riku there to help me back on my feet." He clenched a fist. "Understanding that this body is mine, has made the transition easier already."

Ven eagerly chimed in, "Xion and Roxas are there for me as well." He laughed to disguise his hurt. "We still have a hard time with sensations and memories that don't feel like ours."

Aqua spun the ice cream cone between her hands. "I know, it's just... complicated."

Ventus and Terra sighed.

* * *

[Ikori's POV]

I'd caught glimpses of him around town. It's hard to miss that mop of glistening silver hair. He lands at the front gates, as I had noticed while planting geraniums there. Passes through the square, as I saw him the next day while planting petunias in the area.

Then up to the castle. He ascended the steps the moment I set down an array of lilies outside the castles front doors and got to work.

Men in uniform and lab coats go in and out, but not him. This guy wears casual clothes. But that doesn't make him stand out.

He always looks so tired. Drooping eyes pulled down by purple bags under his eyes that grow fuller by the day. His sure steps and straight shoulders defy what his face says he so desperately needs.

Up the walkway about a yard away from my work area, we accidentally met eyes.

Startled, I strained a smile and bowed my head. "Morning, sir."

He laughed, and although genuine, his face remained too tired to change beyond a flicker of a smile. "I'm flattered, but please call me Riku."

I stood up and dusted my hands clean. "I'm Ikori. It's a pleasure to meet you." Given a moment, I had to ask. "Do you sleep?"

He seemed taken aback, but answered, "I do."

"Oh." Well, that wasn't what I expected. "You look tired is all."

Riku gazed up at the castle. "Yeah..." He hooked his thumbs in his pockets and strolled over. "What are you up to?"

Maybe it's selfish, but I love talking about my flowers. "Well!" I widely smiled, and somehow he looked like he knew he was in for the long run. "I'm bringing back the garden to Radiant Garden. Look!" I slipped the Restoration Committee membership card from my pocket. "It's all so official, and now everyone can enjoy the flowers again. I've never had the chance before now to play with such a variety. Sometimes the townsfolk will even ask if I can plant their favorites near their home. Or if there's a certain vibe I want to channel— you know," I held my hand to my cheek, as if to whisper, but said, "-nicotiana bloom at night, so I planted them by the fountain court. The water shoots up the moment it's dark in time with these beautiful lights, and so many people have commented on it!" I spread my hands out and slapped them to my side. "The early birds ask why I chose flowers that never bloom. The night owls love the atmosphere I created. Honestly, all the feedback cancels out."

He blinked. Then laughed. It's the most energy he's ever displayed, and I once watched him fight an ambush of heartless.

"Thanks for that," Riku cooled down and waved goodbye.

I smiled lightly, and waved him off. Although, I'm not exactly sure what of my words he's thanking me for.

* * *

[Author's POV]

Aqua walked the cobblestoned path leading to Ikori's shop. There's topics they should discuss, Terra's right. The Dark Realm, Ikori's time as a shadow, Aqua's time alone. And in the end... she needs to thank her for finding a way out.

It all starts with Aqua coming right out and saying it. _I'm the one you met in the Dark Realm_.

Whatever Ikori meant by love, they can deal with it. If it's friendship, that's perfect. If it's romantic, Aqua's not interested.

It's not the type of thing she should entertain at the moment. Things are finally back to normal, and they need to stay that way for awhile longer.

Aqua lifted her hand at the front door.

She's not ready for love. It's not something she feels she needs. And if Ikori's time as Nougat meant anything, she'll understand. She has to.

Aqua rapped her knuckle to the door. Despite it saying '_closed'_ this is where Ikori lives. If she's home, it will save Aqua the trouble of finding her.

The absent echoes of footsteps or movement brought Aqua to knock again.

"Oh," Aerith quietly exclaimed. She came from the side of the building through a wooden garden gate framed by a redstone archway, and a wall that extended to residential homes in the distance. "Master Aqua, what a pleasant surprise." Aerith smiled and bowed. Hanging on her arm was a woven basket filled with a bouquet of pink roses, bundles of white orchids, gradient red to white daisies, and pink snapdragons. "What brings you to The Stars of the Land?"

Aqua took a wide step back and read the sign above the door '_The Stars of the Land_' then in smaller text below it read '_flowers and arrangements_.'

Aqua smiled at the name then told her, "I made a promise to the owner. Is she home?"

Aerith's smile faltered. "A promise, huh?"

"Yeah," Aqua answered, unwilling to elaborate.

"Then-" Aerith readjusted her basket and held the gate open. "-Ikori's in the back tending to her flowers."

Aqua smiled in passing. "Thank you."

Aqua found Ikori kneeling down beside a flowerbed as she came up the side of the building. She froze when the full view struck her. What must've been millions of flowers coated acres of land. Aside from the dirt walkways between the rows, it sang of a flower meadow embraced by the rainbow. Bushes of roses. Vines of honeysuckle on the walls. Every color of lily. As a matter of fact, the flowers grew in mixes of a variety of colors. Like a splatter painting, except not one color overpowered the other. The sun caressed the petals, and a light wind fluttering against them reminded Aqua this was _real_.

"This is amazing!" Aqua breathlessly declared. She was smiling so wide, the strain surprised her when she spoke.

"Aqua!" Ikori yelped. She'd fallen onto her bottom.

"This looks familiar," Aqua noted apologetically. She helped Ikori sit up, and knelt by her side. Then Aqua cupped a flower to smell its fragrance and asked, "did your magic do all this?"

"Goodness." Ikori plopped her hands to her thighs. "If I had to use magic to make this entire garden bloom at once, I'd be in a coma for a week." She turned her gaze outward. "You have good timing is all."

Speaking of timing... "Can we go inside and talk?"

"Um," Ikori looked at her dirt covered gloves. "I need to finish weeding, but if you like, I can set you up with some tea inside." Ikori made to get up, but Aqua stopped her with a hand to her arm.

Then she rolled up her sleeves with a reassuring nod. "I'd like to help." The sooner they're done, the sooner Aqua can clear the air between them.

Ikori breathed relief. "Thank you." She fetched her some gardening gloves, and a sun hat, then they got to work.

Aqua glanced at Ikori now at then. It's still hard to imagine this woman was Nougat. She had wavy purple hair that curled at her fringe and ended above her shoulders. The tone of her skin had no doubt tanned slightly darker than Aqua's from the sun. And her eyes shined like a glimmering amethyst.

Ikori caught Aqua staring and smiled. Aqua hastily averted her eyes. How's this fair? Nougat probably stared as much as she wanted.

Wait.

Aqua tapped the back of her hand to her chin. Why'd she avert her eyes so quickly? She's not... guilty.

But now it probably seems that way...

Aqua slowly lifted her gaze. Ikori had focused back on the weeds.

Great...

"Do you travel?" Ikori asked. "I feel like you travel."

"I do," Aqua answered, expertly reeling in her surprise.

"Ah-ha!" Ikori exclaimed. "You're from another world."

Aqua chuckled, "yes." It's almost like she remembers.

Ikori sat back on her ankles. That was too easy. Still, she got the answer she hoped for. "what world are you from?"

"The Land of Departure." Aqua sat back then folded her hands on her lap. "It's beautiful, but much different from here. My world is considered neutral ground. As a keyblade master, I'm tasked with protecting it. So only I, and two friends, live there."

Ikori's eyes widened with fascination. Her entire body leaned forward, her hands clenched into a tight ball.

Aqua's own smile grew watching her. Ikori's body language is as vocal as it was when she was a shadow.

"What's a keyblade?"

"This-" Aqua summoned her blade, sweeping a wind through her hair as Stormfall manifested above her head. She held it out. "-is a keyblade."

Ikori dashed around the flowerbed to her. "Amazing!" She reached for it, then drew back.

Aqua worried her brow. "What's wrong?"

Ikori rubbed her gloved fingers together. "You know that feeling you get when you're wearing wool, and you go to touch a doorknob?"

Ah. So the keyblade did hurt when Nougat touched it. Aqua stood to full height and softly assured her, "you have nothing to worry about."

She grabbed Ikori's hand to fold her fingers around the hilt.

Her hand dipped slightly with the weight and she caught it with a surprised laugh.

"Heavier than I thought," Ikori told her. She waved it back and forth. Then swung down.

Aqua chuckled then held her hand out to the left. The keyblade disappeared from Ikori then reappeared in Aqua's hand.

Ikori clapped gleefully at the magic, then mock pouted. "Picky thing, isn't it?"

Aqua giggled.

* * *

"I'm still not certain where I know you from," Ikori conversationally stated.

Aqua hid her spike of anxiety with a small forced laugh.

"But you know-" She mimed snapping her fingers, as the gloves wouldn't allow otherwise. "When you're with a close friend, and you can just enjoy their company no matter what you're doing." She chuckled. "That's how I feel with you."

"I know what you mean," Aqua agreed. Getting to know Ikori hasn't been as bad as she imagined, although she's not certain what it is she was so worried about in the first place.

Aqua wiped the sweat from her brow, and looked upon the meadow-like garden in a new, dimmer light.

"Do you do _all_ the weeding?"

"No." Ikori rolled her shoulders in place. "I have a crew that does it, but they couldn't finish today, and I can't pay overtime until I get paid for replanting the gardens. So, I've got to finish up myself."

"Oh, that's right," Aqua said mostly to herself. "How is that going by the way?

Her face brightened. "Great! I've got a few more days of work ahead of me. Then I can, I dunno, go on vacation."

"Oh?" Aqua couldn't think of much to do in this world, but there must be something. "Where to?"

"Destiny Island."

She ripped a weed wrong, and began digging for the roots. "A-another world?"

"Yeah," Ikori's head dropped slightly. "Back when this world became Hollow Bastion, Cid handed out gummi ships for us to retreat in. I know there was a destination... but I veered off track accidentally, and landed on the beaches of Destiny Island. It's so peaceful there, and the people were all so welcoming despite not knowing where I came from." She snickered. "Aerith showed up and dragged me to Traverse Town after about a week though."

Aqua felt a strange niggling in the back of her mind. Aerith again. She ignored the feeling, pulled one last weed, and sat back. "I'm done over here." She began moving to check the next flowerbed.

"That's all," Ikori told her. "I've already done the rest. We can go inside n—"

A cry shattered the quiet air. Ikori and Aqua dashed out of the garden. On the street an elderly man hobbled away from a looming ambush of heartless.

"Mister Masato!" Ikori called.

The man diverted from his aimless run and hobbled behind them.

Aqua summoned her keyblade.

Ikori summoned a large orange flower into her hand, elegantly sweeping it above her head. It caught sunlight in its center at the height of her movement. Then, like tossing a skipping stone, Ikori flicked the flower at the heartless.

It landed innocently upon the belly of a Large Body. The heartless stopped, scratched it's head, then vines sprang out from beneath the flower, reaching out, and snaring three Large Bodies in a vine trap. The remaining Soldiers around them ceased their movements as well. Pollen from the flower seeped out, paralyzing them in place.

"Phew." Masato aired his shirt by pulling repeatedly at the collar. "That's the weird flower magic I was counting on." He spoke with praise, but Ikori's shoulders fell at the word _weird._

She deadpanned, "you're welcome, I guess."

Aqua rushed in, striking down the heartless in no time flat.

"Wow," he gasped. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Aqua," Ikori proudly proclaimed.

When Aqua returned Masato bowed. "Thank you, ma'am."

"No problem." Aqua smiled.

He roughly exhaled. "Think I'll go straight home after that mess."

"Alright." Ikori nodded. "Get home safely."

He waved over his shoulder. "He'd kill me if I didn't."

Ikori then explained to Aqua, "his husband's a little protective."

Aqua nodded, then grinned and enthused, "your magic is incredible."

Ikori shook her head. "I've only got tactical magic up my sleeve."

Aqua placed a hand to her shoulder. "Don't sell yourself short. That's _great_ tactical magic."

She blushed. "You think so?"

Her shy fidgeting instilled Aqua with a need to turn that around. What she witnessed Nougat do was a speck of her true power, and even that was useful. Here it's on a whole other level. While on that, Ikori used that incredible magic as a _shadow._ She needs to be as proud as Aqua feels right now.

Aqua laid a hand to her other shoulder, hoping to convey the words with utmost certainty, "of course. It was amazing"

Ikori brightened, her tension visibly eased, and words poured forth, "stunning is the safest pollen I can create, and believe me, that's not an easy potency to contain." She splayed her hand out. "Now, I've been really wanting to try for an edge of offense, but the poison I create has continuously backfired with either an explosive cloud or a weak dose." She crossed her arms. "Yuffie told me not to bother after the last time I poisoned myself, but I can't rely on others to finish the battle every time."

Aqua hung onto the most worrisome part of that confession, until Ikori took a breath, to ask, "you poisoned yourself!?"

Ikori guiltily pinched her fingers. "A little."

Aqua crossed her arms like words were about to fly, but Ikori barged in with, "I can't perfect it otherwise! It's hard mixing colors with the toxins, so sometimes I can't see it. Plus I need to know how strong it is! If you knew how much I stunned myself to get here- and-" She flung her hands wildly during her explanation. "-and I always had panaceas during practice!"

"You-" despite her resolve to correct the issue, Aqua couldn't help a building laugh, "-stunned yourself?"

A cute blush bloomed across her cheeks, and she turned her entire body away. "Heartless aren't easy to confront for practice, where there's one there's many."

Aqua side-stepped to stand before her once more, enjoying her rosy cheeks. Because it's ridiculous. And it seems Ikori is just now realizing this.

"So how did you use the panaceas?" Aqua asked, barely containing her laughter.

Ikori's couldn't meet Aqua's eyes. "I- when I realized the poison worked-"

"No no," Aqua spoke through giggles into her hand, "when you were stunned."

Her entire face went red. She covered her eyes with both hands and whined, "Aqua."

Aqua couldn't help it. She bursted with laughter, holding her stomach as tears began to build.

* * *

A/N

Thank you so much for the reviews! I wish I could say I have more time to write with the quarantine and all, but unfortunately I'm an essential worker. So, I'm missing out on the whole stay at home experience since I'm already a shut in, catching up on gaming, on my days off. Haha. Hope you all aren't going mad relying on the internet as a daily stimulant.

Thank you for reading :)


	7. A Blue Rose

Aqua chuckled as she walked the sunset paths of Radiant Garden alongside Ikori.

Ikori shoved her arm, and huffed, "enough."

"Sorry," Aqua cooled. "It's that-" a single laugh broke out before she could stop completely. "-how did you perfect your sleep magic?"

Ikori crossed her arms.

Aqua bumped shoulders with her, playfully begging, "Ikori."

Ikori looked at her, easing up, yet retaining a small pout.

In the short time she's known her, Aqua's discovered Ikori could talk for miles, so the silence felt wrong.

Silence took Aqua back to the time that Nougat couldn't talk. Couldn't make a face. Couldn't use any subtle gestures to convey how she was feeling.

Like now; Aqua can tell from the jutting of her small peach colored lips, and low set brows, that she was sulking. And even though Ikori was annoyed, it felt great. Because she's allowed to be a person again. They're becoming friends on equal grounds this time.

No one sided conversations.

No dirt to write in.

No charades.

Just two people getting to know one another.

Aqua put her hands together and held them to her lips with an apologetic smile. "I won't laugh anymore, I promise."

Given a moment, Ikori uncrossed her arms. "Okay," she slowly conceded. "For that magic, I simply counted the time it kept me asleep."

Aqua gave an impressed _hm_, then asked, "what's the longest you've been asleep?"

"An hour." Ikori tapped her cheek. "But I might've been sleepy already..." Ikori trailed off, ceasing her walk as she did. Had she... mentioned her sleep magic to Aqua before?

Aqua turned in place. "Ikori?"

Ikori stood there, taking Aqua in. Her vibrant blue eyes. The soft curve of her cheeks catching the last flecks of sunlight. And the familiarity that refused to fade.

"What?" Aqua asked, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear.

Ikori shook her head. "Nothing." She grabbed Aqua's hand, encouraging her with a pull forward. "Let me show you something."

* * *

They came to the fountain court as night drifted lightly into the air. Waterfalls illuminated by a pink glow cascaded down three elevated platforms. Two separate platforms carried the water down to a lower platform that connected them, then down onto two smaller ones that dropped the water into the fountain itself. Meanwhile water sprouted from the walk-in fountain in time with colored lights shining from the ground. Making it all a beautiful sight to behold in the cover of night.

"The town's defense system is strongest here, so there's not much to worry about," Ikori informed her. "Now! ...um." Ikori wiggled her hand, Aqua had her in a tight grip.

"Oh!" Aqua released her. Ikori's presence brought Aqua's guard down, which made the fountains an effective distraction. Aqua reached up instead to rub her own upper arm as she uttered an embarrassed, "sorry."

Ikori chuckled. "That's fine. I'm a tactile person myself. I just need my hand for this." She pushed up pretend sleeves. "Now!" With the fountains to their right, Ikori faced the dry walls to their left. A green energy danced around her fingertips like vines twirling down her fingers to form a ball in her palm facing out the wall. She drew her arm back, then slapped her magic into the wall. Dozens of vibrant emerald beams shot out from her hand, curling in every direction, climbing the wall to its furthest points. Then the lights shattered into vines which sprouted multitudes of branching vines along the stems, crawling over nearly any available surface and poking out with buds sporadically throughout. Then, over the entire wall, the buds popped open all at once, revealing white flowers that shaded to blue at the ends. Flickering magic faded like glittering dust, raining over Aqua and Ikori.

Exhilaration charged Aqua's fingertips to her toes. She wasn't sure what to do with herself, but her heart pounded, and soon it tickled her chest till she couldn't help but laugh as she basked in the beauty coming to life right before her eyes.

Ikori wiped her forehead and caught her breath. "These are morning glories." As she introduced them, the flowers closed to sleep for the night. In tandem the various nicotiana plants bloomed awake in pots beside benches, and in flowerbeds against the wall and staircases. "Now the morning people can't complain about—"

"That was amazing!" Aqua cheered, throwing her arms around Ikori as she gleefully laughed.

Ikori gasped into a surprised chuckle and returned the hug by grabbing what she could reach of Aqua's arm. "Thank you." She exhaled. "I'd hoped you would enjoy that."

Ikori's spectacle flashed a memory of the moment they became a team across Aqua's mind. Nougat summoned effective magic to aid in battle. Something Aqua couldn't have predicted she'd be capable of.

Now this?

This pushed past her expectations once more. The vast expansion of her abilities astounded Aqua's belief of what magic could do.

And this is what she wished to explore and learn of from other worlds in the first place.

What surprises the worlds out there can hold.

Aqua released Ikori and approached a flowerpot of blooming night flowers. She smiled at the petals from Ikori's green thumb and told her, "if you keep this up, I'll have to higher my expectations every time we meet."

Ikori strolled back to plop onto a nearby bench. "I aim to impress," she airly declared with a flick of her hair. Aqua rolled her eyes and came to sit as well. Ikori leaned back, watching the stars as she continued in the same airy tone, "how will I impress the lovely miss Aqua tomorrow?"

Aqua scuffed her boot at the ground, watching the movement. The way Ikori referenced Aqua felt endearing, yet she couldn't look her in the eye after. It's odd. Aqua's aware she's never felt this shy with anyone, but today it's been occurring so often it's like she's not herself.

"Perhaps the flowers shall perform a ballad?"

Aqua broke face, sharply exhaling into a grin. "Will there be dancing?"

"Oh, definitely."

Aqua smiled.

Who would have known that they would get along this well as people. Aqua had hoped that if their personalities didn't match, at the very least they could be acquaintances. But this... All that time Nougat had been pleasant, yet unable to show her vibrant personality under the guise of a shadow.

And now that they're here... she's wonderful.

Aqua lifted her eyes to the flowers once more, and relaxed. "It's nice to finally hear the sound of your voice."

Ikori tried focusing on the stars, yet couldn't help but come back down to Aqua. "My voice?"

Oh.

No.

She said it without thinking. "Yeah, it," Aqua stammered. "It's very, um, it's..." She stretched out the word, "uuunique?"

Ikori jumped to her feet.

Aqua facepalmed.

She almost made it to the stairs before Aqua noticed and shouted, "please don't go!"

"I- I wasn't going to..." Ikori turned in place and walked, this time moving back and forth in a pace. "I can almost remember," Ikori explained with all her nerves flaying. "Because I couldn't remember my name as a heartless. She gave me one." Ikori stopped before Aqua, firmly planted, with fists clenched at her sides. "She gave me a name."

Aqua wasn't sure where this was going, searching Ikori's eyes explained nothing. It made her more uneasy than any heartless ever could.

Yet she softly answered, "Nougat."

Ikori cupped both hands over her mouth, wide-eyed and amazed. "It's you." She took a wide step closer, folding both hands at her chest. "From the beginning I had that feeling that I knew you, and then the things you would say... But I thought, if it was you, you would tell me." Her eyebrows creased. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I-" Aqua spread her hands out, then dropped them at her sides. It would probably be best not to lie now that they've gotten this far. She looked at the flowers in lieu of eye contact, timidly confessing, "you said you love me."

"Oh." Ikori swooped back sharply, like Aqua hurt her.

Maybe she did.

Ikori returned to the bench.

Carefully watching her movements, Aqua did the same.

Shoulders tense, Ikori closed her hand, leaving a small space in the middle. She rested it upon her lap, and using her other hand, she grew tiny white baby's breath. Her index finger began at the gap, then lifted upwards, creating a stem which she trailed down to decorate here and there with blossoms dotted with a simple touch. When one stem was done, she made another.

"It's like," Ikori began, "my heart knew it loved you. When we reunited, I could feel it, but my mind couldn't make sense of it since I couldn't fully remember. I chalked it up to the most intense crush on a vaguely-familiar-stranger I'd ever had."

Although the talk they'd begun left Aqua feeling bereft, she couldn't help but let a chuckle slip at her phrasing. "The most intense?" Aqua asked, slightly monotone. "You have comparisons?"

Ikori blushed. "It might be becoming a category." She cleared her throat. "What I'm trying to say is, that feeling has only gotten stronger even though-"

"I'm sorry," Aqua interrupted. She held the edge of the bench with white knuckled trepidation. Ikori's words were overwhelming her, and a line had to be drawn somewhere. "I've finally regained some normalcy in my life," she explained softly like one wrong word would send her running. "I'd like to hold onto that a little longer. I'm not ready for dating. And actually, I'm not even sure that's something I'd want in my life to begin with." Aqua's heart pricked with ice cold shards of fear. She didn't want to hurt Ikori, but everything had to be put on the table.

"I... understand..." Ikori quivered, her hands could hardly keep still, although she continued her magic idly to keep herself busy. "I'm sorry," she quieted considerably. "This has probably been on your mind for awhile now..." She took a soothing breath. "I hadn't given any thought to dating, just knew how I felt. But still, I'm sorry I did that to you."

Aqua drifted her upper body toward Ikori. "Don't apologize. Emotions are... difficult at times. I only hope we can continue to be friends. I like spending time with you. And most of all, I want to properly thank you for everything that happened in the Dark Realm."

"The Dark Realm," Ikori absently nodded. Then smiled, yet it didn't meet her eyes. "I'd like that."

Aqua felt a pang from Ikori's expression. It's easy to see past that false layer to the truth. However, in reaction to her words, Aqua managed to smile.

Building from Ikori's fingertip climbing upward, two large green leaves fell outward from a thick green stem. And at the top, Ikori created a large blue rose. The rose sat nestled in a small bouquet of baby's breath.

"I respect your wish to be friends, but I do want you to keep in mind that for anyone, emotions don't fade immediately just because you don't act on them." She fiddled with the petals and exhaled. "While we work on our friendship, I ask for patience." Then Ikori got up to stand before Aqua, and offered her the bouquet. "I can't promise to stop loving you." Aqua accepted it, not breaking eye contact as tears built in Ikori's eyes. "But I can promise I won't expect you to do the same."

* * *

A/N

I kinda... forgot about that whole DLC huh. Data battles don't make life easy, but I'll get it one day. The button memory is completely gone for me on that game at the moment. I've been on the switch, Animal Crossing it up. I've always loved the game, but the timing was coincidentally perfect for sales in this time we now live in. Funny how that works.

Also, thank you **Kessie-Louise** that's very kind of you :)


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